Ibrahim Afellay Announces Support for Morocco Against the Netherlands: My Heart is with Morocco
The former Dutch-Moroccan star Ibrahim Afellay clearly stated his position ahead of the anticipated match between Morocco and the Netherlands in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup, indicating that his sentiments in this game will be with the "Atlas Lions."
Afellay said: "In this particular match, my heart is with Morocco, simply because my roots are Moroccan. My parents are from Morocco, and my family lives there, so what additional motivation do I need?"
The former Barcelona player also added that he feels great gratitude towards the Netherlands as well, the country where he grew up and progressed through its sports institutions.
The former player emphasized that representing the Dutch national team was a result of his athletic merit, saying: "I am very grateful to the Netherlands, but it was due to my performance and abilities. I wasn't chosen for the Dutch team because I'm a nice person, but because I deserved it."
Afellay said: "In this particular match, my heart is with Morocco, simply because my roots are Moroccan. My parents are from Morocco, and my family lives there, so what additional motivation do I need?"
The former Barcelona player also added that he feels great gratitude towards the Netherlands as well, the country where he grew up and progressed through its sports institutions.
The former player emphasized that representing the Dutch national team was a result of his athletic merit, saying: "I am very grateful to the Netherlands, but it was due to my performance and abilities. I wasn't chosen for the Dutch team because I'm a nice person, but because I deserved it."
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